Less common in the sports cards world, there's genuine star power in the game card collector community, bringing relevance to the collectibles. 'Tales of Middle-earth' tempts and divides 'Magic' fans with 'LotR' crossover A cultural zeitgeist The release of new sets with rare cards and celebrity purchases have further fueled the excitement. Some companies expanded their operations to keep up with the demand. The spree led to enormous backlogs at companies that authenticate and assess the condition of cards. During the pandemic, people went digging through basements collections find out how much their old Pokémon, Yu-gi-oh! and Magic cards were worth. Thanks to nostalgic Gen Z and Millennials, who grew up collecting game cards in the 1990s and 2000s, fantasy characters are now giving star athletes a run for their money.Ī few conditions are driving the market popularity of TCGs, the industry's shorthand for the category. It's the latest sign that trading card games sector is gaining a strong foothold in a global industry that for more than a century has been dominated by sports cards. 'To all of the tens of millions of collectors in the world who collect Magic: The Gathering, it basically has solidified their collection and says 'Hey, this is serious business.' '

'It's kind of like the first time a baseball card ever sold for a million dollars,' said Ken Goldin, a longtime sports memorabilia collector and owner of Goldin Auctions.

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